Machine for collecting precious metals from river-beds.



No. 664,626. Patented Dec. 25, |900.

J. R. DAKE. MACHINE FDR CULLECTING PBECIUUS METALS FROM RIVER BEDS.

(Apli'lim'xon med :um so, 1900.)

4 Sheets-Shut l.

(No Nudel.)

A TTOHNEYS WTNESSES n: Ncjwms Firms co.. mman-mo. msnmm' No. 664,626.Patented Dec. 25, i900. J. R. DAKE.

MACHINE FDR CULLECTING PRECIOUS METALS FROM RIVER BEDS.

{Application med June 20, 1900.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

No. 664,626. Patented Dec. 25, |900.

J. R. BAKE.

MACHINE. FOR -NILLEJTNG PRECIOUS IETALS FROM RIVER BEDS.

(Applcntion filed June 20, 1900.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W/TNESSES K /N VENTOI? THE nofws PETERS w., wom-uno.. wAsHmsmN. D4 cANo. 664,626. Patented Dec. 2'5, i900. J. R. DAKE.

MACHINE FOB GULLECTING PRECIOUS METALS FROM RIVER BEDS.

(Application filed June 20, 1900.)

(N0 Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4,.

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tional elevation thereof.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES R. DAKE, OF MERRILL, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF TO ROMUALD A.OLESHAK, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR COLLECTING PRECIOUS METALS FROM RIVER-BEDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,626, dated December25, 1900.

Application filed June 20, 1900.

To all wtmn t may con/cern:

Be it known that I, JAMES R. DAKE, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Merrill, in the county of Lincoln and State of Wisconsin,have invented a new and Improved Machine for Collecting Precious Metalsfrom River-Beds, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to machines for recovering gold or the like fromthe sand of river or other water beds; and the object is to provide amachine of this character of simple construction, comparativelyinexpensive, portable, and that may operate by currentpressure equallywell in either deep or shallow water.

I will describe a machine for collecting precious metals from river-bedsembodying my invention and then point out the novel features in theappended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specication, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding' parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine; embodying my invention. Fig.2 is a sec- Fig. 3 is asection on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is adetail showing the blade-stop employed, and Figs. 5, 6, and 7 aredetails showing a means-that may be employed for causing swingingmotions of the sluice.

The machine comprises a frame consisting of side uprights 10 11,connected at the forward ends by a cross-bar 12 and at the rear ends,near the bottom, by la cross-bar 13, which also serves as abumping-block for the sluice, as will be hereinafter described. Theframe is further braced by metal rods 14 and 15. Having bearings in thesides of the frame is a shaft 16, to the outer ends of which powerwheels17 are attached. Each wheel is provided with a series of blades 18, theblades being pivotally connected to the spokes of the wheels, so as toswing outward when the current strikes them and to swing inward againstthe wheels when relieved of pressure or moving against the current. Theblades are limited in their outward movement by means of stop-lugs 19,attached to the blades and adapted to engage with the spokes or SerialNo. 20,986. (No model.)

with lateral projections thereon, as indicated in Fig. l, and also inFig. 4. While I prefer to show two power-wheels, as indicated in thedrawings, it is obvious that apsingle Wheel may be employed. By usingtwo wheels, however, the machine is more evenly balanced. i I

Attached to the shaft 16, between t-he side pieces of the frame, is asprocket-wheel 20, around which a sprocket chain or carrier 21 extends.Forward of the frame the said chain engages with a sprocket-wheel 22,supported by arms 23, attached to the outer end of a guide-board 24,over which the upper stretch of the chain moves, asindicated. Thisguide-board 24 at its inner or rear end has swinging connection with theshaft 16 by means of arms 25, attached to said board and engaging withthe shaft. vals on the carrier or chain 21 buckets 26 are mounted. Thesebuckets are open at one end and are adapted to scoop up the sand fromthe bed of a river and carry the same to a sluice 27, extended rearwardfrom the lframe and having swinging connection with said frame. Thissluice is open at' its ends, but closed at all its sides, and on itslower wall rifles 28 are transversely arranged. These riiiies form'pockets in which the gold will be deposited during the operation of themachine. y

Extended forward of the power-wheels and half-way up their circumferenceare deflector plates 29, which prevent the current from engaging withthe blades of the wheels at the lower portion, but permit the current toengage with the series of blades that may be uppermost, and arrangedabove each wheel is a curved plate 30, which will have a tendency toforce the water downward to compress it upon the wheels.

Attached to standards 31, extendedV upward fromthe machine-frame, is anair-chest 32, which is designed to hold the machine in up,- rightposition.

At suitable inter-A As in many currents of water ,Y l,

the air-chest, if comparatively full of air,

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float 33. This float may be of thecatamaran order, or it may consist ofrafts of logs. As a means for raising and lowering the machine a rope 34is attached at one end to rods `35, connected to the machine, and isthen carried upward overa pulley 36, supported by afframe 37, mounted onthe float, and then under a windlass 38 on the iioat. From a windlass 39on the float a rope 40 extends around a block attached to an anchor 4land then to a connection with rods 42, extended forward from the frameof the machine. The anchor 41 is designed to prevent the machine frombeing moved with the current, and it is obvious that by operating thewindlass 39 the machine may be moved forward when desired. The anchor 41also holds the iioat from movement in one direction, while an anchor ona rope 0r cable 43 at the opposite end will prevent the iioat frommoving in the other direction, and it is also designed to hold the floatwhen the windlass is operated to move the machine. From the sluice 27 arope 44 extends upward and connects with a slip-clutch windlass 45 onthe float, and a rope or cable 46 extends from the guide-board 24 to aVwindlass 47 on the oat. By means of this windlass and its connectionwith the guide-board the carrier may be raised or lowered, as desired,to accommodate it to the bottomof the stream.

Under ordinary circumstances the machi-ne will be operated by thewater-current against the blades of the wheels; but should the machinebecome clogged by any substance carried into it by the conveyer Iprovide means to ascertain such fact, or whether the machine is at astandstill. wire 48, attached at its lower end to the board 24 andextending upward to Vthe oat, Where it terminates in receivers 49, whichmay consist of thin metal diaphragms arranged in suitable casingssimilar to a'mechanical telephone receiver. For convenience the wire 48may be fastened to the rope or cable 46.

In operation the machine may be raised and lowered by means of thewindlass 38. When the machine is in the desired position and anchored,the water-current will rotate the power-wheels, and consequently set thebucket-carrier in operation. The buckets 26 will scoop up the sandcontaining gold ort other metal and deposit the same into the sluice 27,and the water flowing through this sluice will carry the sand and gold,the sand being discharged at the outer end of the sluice, while the goldwill settle in the pockets at the bottom of the sluice. If desired,quicksilver may beY placed in the pockets. The settling of gold from thesand and water will be accelerated by imparting an up-anddown movementto the sluice and causing it to bump upon the cross-bar I3. Thismovement may be caused by operating the slipclutch windlass 45. Topartially cut o the current-pressure from the discharge end of thecarrier, rearwardly-extending .divergent This means comprises adetlector-plates 30a are attached to the cross'L I bar l2.

While I do not claim in broad form a slip-A clutch for the windlass 45,I show a practical mechanism in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. The windlass isprovided at one end with a ratchet 50, designed .to be engaged by aclutch or pawl 5l, mounted on a disk 52, rigidly connected to the shaftupon which the windlass is loosely mounted. As the shaft is rotated bymanual or other power, when the clutch is in engagement with the ratchetthe windlass will be rotated in such manner as to raise the sluice. Theclutch will be held in such engagement with the ratchet by means of aspring 53 engaging at one end with the disk and at the other end with anextension 54 of the clutch or pawl. curved, and when it comes -i-ncontact with any one of a series of fixed pins 55, attached to the frameof the windlass, the .clutch will be rotated out of en-gagement with theratchet, thus permitting the lwindlass to rotate in the oppositedirection as the sluice Yis moved downward by its weight. lOf cou-rseafter leaving its engagement with a pin 55 the clutch will be againthrown into engagement with the ratchet-wheel.

Having thus described my invention, I

This extension 54 isV claim as new and desire to secure by Letters YPatentl. A machine for collecting precious metals from water-beds,comprisinga frame, a shaft mounted in said frame, a current-pressurewheel attached to the said shaft, the said wheel havinglaterally-swinging blades and adapted to be entirely submerged, anendless carrier operated from said shaft, buckets on said carrier, and asluice into which the buckets discharge, substantially as specified.

2. In a machine of the characterdescribed, a frame, an endless carrierarranged in said frame, a current-operated wheel for moving saidcarrier, buckets on the carrier, a compression-plate above the wheel, asluice into which said buckets discharge, and rifiies on the bottom wallof said sluice, substantially as specified.

3. In a machine of the character described, a frame, an air-chestrigidly attached to said frame, a shaft mounted in the frame,powerwheels attached'to said shaft, an endless carrier operated from theshaft, buckets on said carrier, and a sluice mounted in the Yframe andinto which the buckets discharge, substantially as specified.

4. In a machine of the character described, a frame, current-operatedwheels mounted on a shaft having bearings in said frame, an 'endlesscarrier operated from said shaft, deiector-plates extended forward ofthe forward sides of the wheels, a com pression-plate above each wheel,a sluice into which the carrier discharges, and means for imparting avertical movement to said sluice, substantially as specified.

5. 'In a machine of the character described,

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a fram e, current-operated wheels mounted onV wheel, buckets on thecarrier, and a sluicev into which said buckets discharge, substantiallyas specified.

'7. In a machine for collecting gold from water-beds, a frame, a oat,means for anchoring the frame and oat, an air-chamber rigidly connectedto the frame, a shaft mounted in the frame, a current-operated wheelmounted on said shaft, a sprocket-wheel on 2Qv Ithe shaft, a guide-boardhaving swinging connection with the shaft, a sprocket-wheel carried atthe outer end of said guide-board, a sprocket chain extended around thetwo sprocket-wheels,buokets on said chain, means for raising andlowering the guide-board, a

swinging sluiee into which the buckets dis charge, and means forcontinuously swinging said sluice, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES R. DAKE.

Witnesses:

HARRY R. ALLEN, ROMUALD A. OLESHAK.

